ProUI

NAGPUR: After nearly 60 hours of restoration work on war footing, one of the tracks near Sindi Railway was temporarily opened for traffic on Monday morning. Both main line tracks were damaged after the earthen foundation below it was washed away due to floods in Pipra nullah on Friday night.After severe damage to tracks in 500 metres, train movement stopped completely on east, west, north and south routes. Many trains were either cancelled or diverted through Badnera-Amravati-Narkhed and Bhusawal-Khandwa-Itarsi-Nagpur.Over 1,000 men and machines pressed into service since Friday night could temporarily help restore train traffic on down line (towards) Nagpur) Monday morning. According to Central Railway PRO P D Patil, the first train to cross the restored track was 12721 Hyderabad-Nizamuddin Dakshin Express around 9.15am. The train arrives at Nagpur at 9.15am, but was delayed by an hour.

"After Dakshin Express, around a dozen trains passed through the vulnerable spot at a speed of 10 kmph. These trains included four from Ballarshah, four from Itarsi and four from Badnera side," said Patil.

Divisional railway manager (DRM) Brijesh Dixit had said on Sunday that the track would be opened by that day evening but due to heavy damage, this could not be done. The track was declared fit by the engineering department at 5.30am on Monday and at 7.15am, electrical department declared overhead power lines fit.

As the trains were already moving along the diverted route and there was no passenger train in the section after the track was declared fit, two empty wagons were sent by the down track. Since then, no loaded rakes were being operated on the stretch.

"When such a disaster happens and tracks are restored, some unimportant trains are run on it for testing. The down line was found fit," said Patil. Around 9.15am, Dakshin Express was cleared followed by 12145 LTT-Bhubaneshwar Express at 10.30am. Till evening, at least 15 trains ran through Sindi Railway.

"It will be a temporary structure but won't be risky for trains passing at a 10-15 kmph speed. Rebuilding of permanent structure will take some time as it is monsoon," said railway officials.

Meanwhile, the Central Railway revised timing of Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express and Nagpur-Mumbai Sevagram Express that left Nagpur on Monday. The Duronto which leaves Nagpur at 8.40pm, departed at 12.40am and Sevagram, which leaves Nagpur at 9pm left at 1am. Both the trains will arrive Mumbai 3-4 hours late.

PUNE: The Pune railway division has made it mandatory to produce proof of identity while booking Tatkal tickets at all reservation counters in the division. Earlier, the rule was implemented only at the counter at the Pune railway station. There are more than 50 reservation counters across the division."The initiative has helped to reduce involvement of middlemen in the Tatkal booking process. Besides, it has brought down bookings made under fake names," an official from the Pune division said.He added, "We had received complaints from passengers about touts interfering in the Tatkal reservation process at counters. Passengers had said they were unable to book Tatkal tickets for trains originating from Pune because of touts purchasing tickets under fake/fictitious names."The official said the Pune division was the first under the purview of the Central Railways to implement the initiative at all reservation counters. Moreover, the Central Railways administration has now directed all other divisions to implement the rule at reservation counters in their respective jurisdictions.The official said the administration frequently conducted drives against touts and agents involved in purchase and sale of tickets in fake names. Surprise checks are also conducted at vulnerable reservation counters. The administration will continue with such drives to restrict illegal activities, he said.

According to the administration, a passenger or a person booking a ticket for him/her is expected to produce any one of the documents listed as proof of identity by the administration (see box).

The official said the authorised reservation centres in the division are located in Pune city, Khadki, Chinchwad, Miraj, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Baramati, Karad, Dehuroad, Ichalkaranji and Rajgurunagar. The division records almost 100% Tatkal bookings, he said.

NAGPUR: After nearly 60 hours of restoration work on war footing, one of the tracks near Sindi Railway was temporarily opened for traffic on Monday morning. Both main line tracks were damaged after the earthen foundation below it was washed away due to floods in Pipra nullah on Friday night.After severe damage to tracks in 500 metres, train movement stopped completely on east, west, north and south routes. Many trains were either cancelled or diverted through Badnera-Amravati-Narkhed and Bhusawal-Khandwa-Itarsi-Nagpur.Over 1,000 men and machines pressed into service since Friday night could temporarily help restore train traffic on down line (towards) Nagpur) Monday morning. According to Central Railway PRO P D Patil, the first train to cross the restored track was 12721 Hyderabad-Nizamuddin Dakshin Express around 9.15am. The train arrives at Nagpur at 9.15am, but was delayed by an hour.

"After Dakshin Express, around a dozen trains passed through the vulnerable spot at a speed of 10 kmph. These trains included four from Ballarshah, four from Itarsi and four from Badnera side," said Patil.

Divisional railway manager (DRM) Brijesh Dixit had said on Sunday that the track would be opened by that day evening but due to heavy damage, this could not be done. The track was declared fit by the engineering department at 5.30am on Monday and at 7.15am, electrical department declared overhead power lines fit.

As the trains were already moving along the diverted route and there was no passenger train in the section after the track was declared fit, two empty wagons were sent by the down track. Since then, no loaded rakes were being operated on the stretch.

"When such a disaster happens and tracks are restored, some unimportant trains are run on it for testing. The down line was found fit," said Patil. Around 9.15am, Dakshin Express was cleared followed by 12145 LTT-Bhubaneshwar Express at 10.30am. Till evening, at least 15 trains ran through Sindi Railway.

"It will be a temporary structure but won't be risky for trains passing at a 10-15 kmph speed. Rebuilding of permanent structure will take some time as it is monsoon," said railway officials.

Meanwhile, the Central Railway revised timing of Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express and Nagpur-Mumbai Sevagram Express that left Nagpur on Monday. The Duronto which leaves Nagpur at 8.40pm, departed at 12.40am and Sevagram, which leaves Nagpur at 9pm left at 1am. Both the trains will arrive Mumbai 3-4 hours late.

रविवार रात करीब 9.45 गोंदिया से वड़सा की ओर आने वाली डेमू लोकल ट्रेन के इंजन सहित 5 डिब्बे वड़सा से अरुणनगर के बीच पटरी से उतरने से क्षतिग्रस्त हो गए। रेलवे इंजन और 2 डिब्बे पटरी से करीब 20 फीट से अधिक दूरी तक मिट्टी में धंस गए। दुर्घटना में 5 यात्री घायल हुए हैं। 2 लोग बोगी में बुरी तरह फंसे हुए थे। एक को स्थानीय लोगों ने बाहर निकाला तथा  दूसरे के लिए भारी मशक्कत करनी पड़ी। उसे भी करीब 4 बजे सुबह गैस कटर की मदद से बाहर निकाला गया। घायलों में भंडारा जिले के सावली निवासी मनोज बरघरे (२२) का समावेश है।
ट्रेन  दुर्घटना के कारण सोमवार को गोंदिया जंक्शन से वडसा मार्ग पर चलने वाली सभी 4 ट्रेनों को रद्द कर दिया गया। इसके चलते रेल यात्रियों को काफी दिक्कतों का सामना करना पड़ा। गोंदिया-चंद्रपुर मार्ग की ट्रेनें रद्द किए जाने से यहां से अर्जुनी मोरगांव, वड़सा, ब्रहपुरी, सिंदेवाही, मूल, चंद्रपुर एवं बल्लारशाह की ओर जाने वाले रेल यात्रियों को बस एवं अन्य साधनों से अपने गंतव्य की ओर जाने की नौबत आन पड़ी। पूरे दिन हजारों यात्री परेशान होते नजर आए। वहीं गोंदिया बस डिपो से सुबह 6.45 बजे चंद्रपुर की ओर जाने वाली बस रद्द होने के कारण भी यात्रियों को अनेक परेशानियों का सामना करना पड़ा। गोंदिया रेलवे स्टेशन मास्टर वी.वी.टी.राव ने बताया कि सोमवार को ट्रेन क्रमांक ५८८०२, ७८८२०, ५८८०४, ५८८०६ को रद्द किया जा चुका है। गोंदिया-चांदाफोर्ट रेल मार्ग को जल्द ही सुचारू करने की जानकारी उन्होंने दी। रविवार रात दुर्घटना की जानकारी मिलते ही गड़चिरोली जिले के देसाईगंज शहर के लोग घटनास्थल की ओर दौड़े और दुर्घटनाग्रस्त यात्रियों की हरसंभव मदद की। वड़सा के युवा व्यापारी, मुस्लिम युवा, देसाईगंज के नगराध्यक्ष समेत कुछ पार्षद और समाजसेवी घटनास्थल पहुंचे और दुर्घटनाग्रस्तों को रेलबोगियों से निकालकर रेलवे स्टेशन तक लाया। कई यात्रियों की सिंधु भवन में भोजन और सोने की व्यवस्था की गई। रेल पटरियों के अलावा पटरी पर पहुंचने का अन्य मार्ग नहीं था। स्थानीय लोगों और पुलिस प्रशासन ने पटरियों पर जाकर यात्रियो की मदद की है।
मार्ग न होने पर भी एक पुलिस सिपाही ने पटरी पर मोटर साइकिल चलाकर गैस कटर घटनास्थल पर लाया। रेल ट्राली वडसा स्टेशन पर न होने से करीब 1 बजे तक रेल विभाग से किसी तरह की मदद नहीं मिली।
वरिष्ठ अधिकारियों के पहुंचने पर ही रेल प्रशासन हरकत में आया। रेल अधिकारी देर रात एक बजे के दौरान घटनास्थल पर पहुंचे और दुर्घटना का जायजा लेते हुए बोगियों को हटाने का काम शुरू किया। इस बीच जो यात्री गोंदिया वापस जाना चाहते थे उनके लिए रात में ही गोंदिया से इंजन बुलाकर दुर्घटना रहित तीन डिब्बे जोड़कर उन्हें गोंदिया रवाना कर दिया।
सुबह छह बजे से पटरी से बोगियां हटाने का काम शुरू हुआ, किंतु बारिश के चलते  काम प्रभावित हुआ। दुर्घटना के चलते सोमवार की गोंदिया से चंद्रपुर की ओर आवागमन करनेवाली सभी गाडिय़ां रद्द कर दी गयी है। इस बीच सोमवार को दिनभर बोगियां हटाकर रेल पटरी की मरम्मत का काम जारी रहा। डीएमआरवर्मा ने बताया कि मंगलवार को यातायात फिर पूर्ववत करने के प्रयास तारी है। समाचार लिखे जाने तक 5 बोगीयों को हटाकर खेतों में रखा गया है।
रेल प्रशासन व्दारा प्रारंभिक जांच में भारी बारिश के कारण पटरी धंसने से दुर्घटना होने की बात कही जा रही है, किंतु एहतियात के तौर पर बमशोधक व निरोधक और श्वान पथक व्दारा घटनास्थल का जायजा लिया गया।
रविवार की देर रात गोंदिया से चंद्रपुर की ओर जाने वाली रेलवे पैसेंजर वड़सा-अरुणनगर के बीच दुर्घटनाग्रस्त हो गई जिसके
घायल का इलाज शुरू : रविवार की रात घटित हादसे में घायल भंडारा के सावली निवासी मनोज बरघरे (२२) का उपचार गोंदिया के निजी अस्पताल में शुरू है। दुर्घटना के दौरान वह ट्रेन के शौचालय में फंस गया था और उसके दाहिने कंधे पर गंभीर चोटे लगी।
राहत कार्य गोंदिया से : जमीन धंसने, रेल मार्ग क्षतिग्रस्त होने तथा ट्रेन में तकनीकी गड़बड़ी के कारण घटित हादसे के बाद गोंदिया-बल्लारशाह पैसेंजर के चार बोगी पटरी से उतर गए। तत्काल इसकी जानकारी दक्षिण मध्यपूर्व रेलवे विभाग को दी गई। जिसके बाद राहत एवं बचाव के लिए गोंदिया स्टेशन से राहन यान भेजकर रेल मार्ग सुचारू करने का प्रयास किया जा रहा है। समाचार लिखे जाने तक उक्त मार्ग पर ट्रेनें नहीं चलाई जा सकीं।

One pair of new EMU local trains has been introduced on the Chennai Beach – Velachery – Chennai Beach (MRTS) section with effect from Monday.

Train No.41131 EMU local will leave Chennai Beach at 9 p.m. and reach Velachery at 9.45 p.m. Train No.41132 EMU local will leave Velachery at 9.50 p.m. and arrive at Chennai Beach at 10.35 p.m.

— Special Correspondent

A sum of Rs. 1.22 lakh was collected as excess fare and penalty during a ticket-checking drive in the Palakkad railway division, mainly on the Kannur-Kozhikode and Shoranur-Nilambur Road sections, on Friday. As many as 353 cases were registered during the drive carried out by 21 ticket-checking staff and assisted by Railway Protection Force personnel, a railway release said. — Special Correspondent

MALAPPURAM: Amid strong protests from Thirunnavaya residents, a four-member team of railways inspected the route of the proposed Guruvayur-Thirunnavaya rail line on Monday. The inspection was held as part of procedures to re-start survey of the line which was blocked by residents a year ago.The team headed by railways' executive engineer Chacko George managed to inspect the route from Choondikkal to Bandarkkadavu, though they were blocked by protesters at Thirunnavaya. Protesters claimed the project will harm thousands of acres of farmland in the region and demanded that the line be re-routed. They were removed by the police and a police team was also deployed in the region.Officials informed that the railways will go ahead with the survey the work of which would start from Guruvayur. Kole farmers in Ponnani have already come up against the rail line project.KA Jayanandan, secretary of Ponnani Kole Protection council, said farmers will block the officials if they visit the Kole fields.Survey for the line was first started in Thirunnavaya panchayat in 2010 but was stopped after strong local protests. Following the indefinite delay of survey process, railway officials convened a meeting in Ponnani in July 2011 to discuss re-routing the line. Residents also decried the revised route. The latest move to resume survey was started after a meeting of railway officials by district collector K Baiju last week.

The railways decided to go for the Tanur-Guruvayur rail line project, as a proposal, mooted in 1995, to connect Guruvayur with the Shoranur - Manglore stretch. But later the plan was changed to Kuttippuram-Guruvayur rail line. This too was dropped following strong opposition from locals.

After carrying out detailed studies and examining various alternatives for a line from Kuttippuram to Guruvayur, it was decided to connect Tanur to Guruvayur in 2004. But, following frequent protests from the people of Tanur, the railways decided to alter the rail line and connect Thirunnavaya with Guruvayur.

The Railway Protection Force is all set to wield commando staple Heckler and Koch MP5 guns to tackle 26/11-type terror attacks.  The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is all set to get some extra teeth with the railway ministry planning to arm the force with the famed Heckler and Koch MP5 guns, a staple with several commando units worldwide, including the elite National Security Guard (NSG).

“The induction of MP5 series guns has been an ongoing process being helmed by the Union home ministry since 2009. The NSG was first recipient of these guns. Other paramilitary forces like the RPF will also be getting them in due time,” said an official.

Earlier this week, the railway ministry also sanctioned the purchase of two advanced weapons training simulators that will be used to get RPF personnel to practice their shooting skills without having to expend live ammunition. The railway’s Central Organisation For the Modernisation of Workshops (COFMOW) has been entrusted with the task.

Speaking to RailNews, PK Agarwal, Chief Administrative Officer of COFMOW, confirmed that order for the two simulators would be placed and that the tender process for it had already been initiated.

“Practising with live ammunition is very expensive. The simulators would be of great help to keep the force fighting it,” said Agarwal.

According to officials, the move is part of the plan to upgrade the RPF’s combat capabilities to the level where in case of a 26/11-type terror attack, it can stall or ward off the attacks till the arrival of specialised anti-terror units like the NSG or the Navy’s Marcos contingents.

One of the most painful images of helplessness that the nation got to watch during the 26/11 terror raid was RPF constables, armed with British vintage 303 rifles, trying to ward off the two terrorists who had entered CST that day. Most of the rifles jammed leaving the constables with little choice but to duck for cover from the assault rifle fire of the two terrorists.

The RPF’s journey towards a better armoury started in 2011 when a decision was taken to arm 15 per cent of the head constables and 10 per cent constables of the 65,000-strong force with AK-47 assault rifles handed down by the Army.

Mumbai’s RPF units on Central and Western Railway were among the first to get these AK-47s in May 2011. This was apart from the 9mm pistols and INSAS and Self Loading Rifles the force already has.

About Heckler & Koch MP5

The Heckler & Koch MP5 (from German: Maschinenpistole 5, “machine pistol model 5″) is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) of Oberndorf am Neckar. There are over 100 variants of the MP5, including a semi-automatic version.

The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world, having been adopted by 40 nations and numerous military, law enforcement, intelligence, and security organizations.

In the 1990s, Heckler & Koch developed the Heckler & Koch UMP, the MP5′s successor; both are available as of 2013.

History

Heckler & Koch, encouraged by the success of the G3 automatic rifle, developed a family of small arms consisting of four types of firearms all based on a common G3 design layout and operating principle. The first type was chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO, the second for the 7.62×39mm M43 round, the third for the intermediate 5.56×45mm NATO caliber, and the fourth type for the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. The MP5 was created within the fourth group of firearms and was initially known as the HK54.

Work on the MP5 began in 1964 and two years later it was adopted by the German Federal Police, border guard and army special forces.

The MP5 is manufactured under license in several nations including Greece (formerly at EBO – Hellenic Arms Industry, currently at EAS – Hellenic Defense Systems), Iran (Defense Industries Organization), Mexico (SEDENA), Pakistan (Pakistan Ordnance Factories), Saudi Arabia, Sudan (Military Industry Corporation), Turkey (MKEK), and the United Kingdom (initially at Royal Ordnance, later diverted to Heckler & Koch Great Britain).

Design details

The primary version of the MP5 family is the MP5A2, which is a lightweight, air-cooled, selective fire delayed blowback operated 9×19mm Parabellum weapon with a roller-delayed bolt. It fires from a closed bolt (bolt forward) position.

The fixed, free floating, cold hammer-forged barrel has 6 right-hand grooves with a 1 in 250 mm (1:10 in) rifling twist rate and is pressed and pinned into the receiver.

Features

The first MP5 models used a double-column straight box magazine, but since 1977, slightly curved, steel magazines are used with a 15-round capacity (weighing 0.12 kg) or a 30-round capacity (0.17 kg empty).

The adjustable iron sights (closed type) consist of a rotating rear diopter drum and a front post installed in a hooded ring. The rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation with the use of a special tool, being adjusted at the factory for firing at 25m with standard 124 grains FMJ 9x19mm NATO ammunition; the drum provides four different apertures of varying width used to adjust the light entrance in the diopter system, according to the user’s eye relief and tactical situation, and not for firing at 25, 50, 75 and 100m as some people wrongly imagine.

The MP5 has a hammer firing mechanism. The trigger group is housed inside an interchangeable polymer trigger module (with an integrated pistol grip) and equipped with a three-position fire mode selector that serves as the manual safety toggle. The “S” or Sicher position in white denotes weapon safe, “E” or Einzelfeuer in red represents single fire, and “F” or Feuerstoß (also marked in red) designates continuous fire. The SEF symbols appear on both sides of the plastic trigger group. The selector lever is actuated with the thumb of the shooting hand and is located only on the left side of the original SEF trigger group or on both sides of the ambidextrous trigger groups. The safety/selector is rotated into the various firing settings or safety position by depressing the tail end of the lever. Tactile clicks (stops) are present at each position to provide a positive stop and prevent inadvertent rotation. The “safe” setting disables the trigger by blocking the hammer release with a solid section of the safety axle located inside the trigger housing.

The non-reciprocating cocking handle is located above the handguard and protrudes from the cocking handle tube at approximately a 45° angle. This rigid control is attached to a tubular piece within the cocking lever housing called the cocking lever support, which in turn, makes contact with the forward extension of the bolt group. It is not however connected to the bolt carrier and therefore cannot be used as a forward assist to fully seat the bolt group. The cocking handle is held in a forward position by a spring detent located in the front end of the cocking lever support which engages in the cocking lever housing. The lever is locked back by pulling it fully to the rear and rotating it slightly clockwise where it can be hooked into an indent in the cocking lever tube.

Operating mechanism

The bolt rigidly engages the barrel extension—a cylindrical component welded to the receiver into which the barrel is pinned. The delay mechanism is of the same design as that used in the G3 rifle. The two-part bolt consists of a bolt head with rollers and a bolt carrier. The heavier bolt carrier lies up against the bolt head when the weapon is ready to fire and inclined planes on the front locking piece lie between the rollers and force them out into recesses in the barrel extension.

When fired, expanding propellant gases produced from the burning powder in the cartridge exert rearward pressure on the bolt head transferred through the base of the cartridge case as it is propelled out of the chamber. A portion of this force is transmitted through the rollers projecting from the bolt head, which are cammed inward against the inclined flanks of the locking recesses in the barrel extension and to the angled shoulders of the locking piece. The selected angles of the recesses and the incline on the locking piece produce a velocity ratio of about 4:1 between the bolt carrier and the bolt head. This results in a calculated delay, allowing the projectile to exit the barrel and gas pressure to drop to a safe level before the case is extracted from the chamber.

The delay results from the amount of time it takes for enough recoil energy to be transferred through to the bolt carrier in a sufficient quantity for it to be driven to the rear against the force of inertia of the bolt carrier and the forward pressure exerted against the bolt by the recoil spring. As the rollers are forced inward they displace the locking piece and propel the bolt carrier to the rear. The bolt carrier’s rearward velocity is four times that of the bolt head since the cartridge remains in the chamber for a short period of time during the initial recoil impulse. After the bolt carrier has traveled rearward 4 mm, the locking piece is withdrawn fully from the bolt head and the rollers are compressed into the bolt head. Only once the locking rollers are fully cammed into the bolt head can the entire bolt group continue its rearward movement in the receiver, breaking the seal in the chamber and continuing the feeding cycle.

Since the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge is relatively low powered, the bolt does not have an anti-bounce device like the G3, but instead the bolt carrier contains tungsten granules that prevent the bolt group from bouncing back after impacting the barrel extension. The weapon has a fluted chamber that enhances extraction reliability by bleeding gases backwards into the shallow flutes running along the length of the chamber to prevent the cartridge case from expanding and sticking to the chamber walls (since the bolt is opened under relatively high barrel pressure). A spring extractor is installed inside the bolt head and holds the case securely until it strikes the ejector arm and is thrown out of the ejection port to the right of the receiver. The lever-type ejector is located inside the trigger housing (activated by the movement of the recoiling bolt).

Accessories

Three lugs are provided at the muzzle that are used to work with certain muzzle devices made by Heckler & Koch, including: a slotted flash suppressor, blank firing attachment (marked with a red painted band denoting use with blank ammunition only), an adaptor for launching rifle grenades (for use with rifle-style grenades with an inside diameter of 22 mm using a special grenade launching cartridge) and a cup-type attachment used to launch tear gas grenades.

The receiver housing has notches that permit the attachment of a standard Heckler & Koch quick-detachable scope mount (also used with the G3, HK33 and G3SG/1) that can be used to mount daytime optical sights (telescopic 4×24), night sights or a halogen underbarrel weaponlight. It can be used with reflex sights and laser pointers. The mount features two spring-actuated bolts, positioned along the base of the mount, which exert pressure on the receiver to hold the mount in the same position at all times assuring zero retention. All versions of the quick-detachable scope mount provide a sighting tunnel through the mount so that the shooter can continue to use the fixed iron sights with the scope mount attached to the top of the receiver.

AHMEDABAD: Facing unrest at its Savli facility since June 3, rail coach maker Bombardier Transportation has said it will launch a recruitment process to ensure smooth operations. The company had on July 11 warned its striking workforce, near 100 of them, to resume work on or before July 17, 2013 failing which their services would be terminated. The MNC is facing unrest for the first time at the site operational since 2008. "The company accepted demand of the striking workforce by allowing works committee formation of Bombardier Transportation employees and adopting a softer approach on employees during enquiries on which disciplinary action has been initiated.The company will charge sheet all the illegally striking employees for not adhering to court order of "Prohibition of strike" passed on June 27, 2013, wrongful allegations on company officials, instigating other employees to join the strike, refraining co-workers from attending their normal duties, threatening and abusing company officials," said a statement. "The company will initiate enquiry against these employees. Post inquiry findings and depending upon the outcome, the company will undertake actions through an applicable legal process including termination of services," it said.

A short-term deputation plan for about 34 employees to its project site in New Delhi went awry earlier in June fueling unrest at the facility on the outskirts of Vadodara. At the Savli site, the company is currently executing bogie orders for Adelaide and Victoria in Australia and delivery of metro cars for Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Near 500 employees are currently working at the site. "We will have to find replacement because work at the site has to go on. We are pursuing more orders for monorails, metros and locomotives," said Harsh Mehta, Director - Communications & Public Affairs.

The Railway Protection Force is all set to wield commando staple Heckler and Koch MP5 guns to tackle 26/11-type terror attacks.  The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is all set to get some extra teeth with the railway ministry planning to arm the force with the famed Heckler and Koch MP5 guns, a staple with several commando units worldwide, including the elite National Security Guard (NSG).

“The induction of MP5 series guns has been an ongoing process being helmed by the Union home ministry since 2009. The NSG was first recipient of these guns. Other paramilitary forces like the RPF will also be getting them in due time,” said an official.

Earlier this week, the railway ministry also sanctioned the purchase of two advanced weapons training simulators that will be used to get RPF personnel to practice their shooting skills without having to expend live ammunition. The railway’s Central Organisation For the Modernisation of Workshops (COFMOW) has been entrusted with the task.

Speaking to RailNews, PK Agarwal, Chief Administrative Officer of COFMOW, confirmed that order for the two simulators would be placed and that the tender process for it had already been initiated.

“Practising with live ammunition is very expensive. The simulators would be of great help to keep the force fighting it,” said Agarwal.

According to officials, the move is part of the plan to upgrade the RPF’s combat capabilities to the level where in case of a 26/11-type terror attack, it can stall or ward off the attacks till the arrival of specialised anti-terror units like the NSG or the Navy’s Marcos contingents.

One of the most painful images of helplessness that the nation got to watch during the 26/11 terror raid was RPF constables, armed with British vintage 303 rifles, trying to ward off the two terrorists who had entered CST that day. Most of the rifles jammed leaving the constables with little choice but to duck for cover from the assault rifle fire of the two terrorists.

The RPF’s journey towards a better armoury started in 2011 when a decision was taken to arm 15 per cent of the head constables and 10 per cent constables of the 65,000-strong force with AK-47 assault rifles handed down by the Army.

Mumbai’s RPF units on Central and Western Railway were among the first to get these AK-47s in May 2011. This was apart from the 9mm pistols and INSAS and Self Loading Rifles the force already has.

About Heckler & Koch MP5

The Heckler & Koch MP5 (from German: Maschinenpistole 5, “machine pistol model 5″) is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) of Oberndorf am Neckar. There are over 100 variants of the MP5, including a semi-automatic version.

The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world, having been adopted by 40 nations and numerous military, law enforcement, intelligence, and security organizations.

In the 1990s, Heckler & Koch developed the Heckler & Koch UMP, the MP5′s successor; both are available as of 2013.

History

Heckler & Koch, encouraged by the success of the G3 automatic rifle, developed a family of small arms consisting of four types of firearms all based on a common G3 design layout and operating principle. The first type was chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO, the second for the 7.62×39mm M43 round, the third for the intermediate 5.56×45mm NATO caliber, and the fourth type for the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. The MP5 was created within the fourth group of firearms and was initially known as the HK54.

Work on the MP5 began in 1964 and two years later it was adopted by the German Federal Police, border guard and army special forces.

The MP5 is manufactured under license in several nations including Greece (formerly at EBO – Hellenic Arms Industry, currently at EAS – Hellenic Defense Systems), Iran (Defense Industries Organization), Mexico (SEDENA), Pakistan (Pakistan Ordnance Factories), Saudi Arabia, Sudan (Military Industry Corporation), Turkey (MKEK), and the United Kingdom (initially at Royal Ordnance, later diverted to Heckler & Koch Great Britain).

Design details

The primary version of the MP5 family is the MP5A2, which is a lightweight, air-cooled, selective fire delayed blowback operated 9×19mm Parabellum weapon with a roller-delayed bolt. It fires from a closed bolt (bolt forward) position.

The fixed, free floating, cold hammer-forged barrel has 6 right-hand grooves with a 1 in 250 mm (1:10 in) rifling twist rate and is pressed and pinned into the receiver.

Features

The first MP5 models used a double-column straight box magazine, but since 1977, slightly curved, steel magazines are used with a 15-round capacity (weighing 0.12 kg) or a 30-round capacity (0.17 kg empty).

The adjustable iron sights (closed type) consist of a rotating rear diopter drum and a front post installed in a hooded ring. The rear sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation with the use of a special tool, being adjusted at the factory for firing at 25m with standard 124 grains FMJ 9x19mm NATO ammunition; the drum provides four different apertures of varying width used to adjust the light entrance in the diopter system, according to the user’s eye relief and tactical situation, and not for firing at 25, 50, 75 and 100m as some people wrongly imagine.

The MP5 has a hammer firing mechanism. The trigger group is housed inside an interchangeable polymer trigger module (with an integrated pistol grip) and equipped with a three-position fire mode selector that serves as the manual safety toggle. The “S” or Sicher position in white denotes weapon safe, “E” or Einzelfeuer in red represents single fire, and “F” or Feuerstoß (also marked in red) designates continuous fire. The SEF symbols appear on both sides of the plastic trigger group. The selector lever is actuated with the thumb of the shooting hand and is located only on the left side of the original SEF trigger group or on both sides of the ambidextrous trigger groups. The safety/selector is rotated into the various firing settings or safety position by depressing the tail end of the lever. Tactile clicks (stops) are present at each position to provide a positive stop and prevent inadvertent rotation. The “safe” setting disables the trigger by blocking the hammer release with a solid section of the safety axle located inside the trigger housing.

The non-reciprocating cocking handle is located above the handguard and protrudes from the cocking handle tube at approximately a 45° angle. This rigid control is attached to a tubular piece within the cocking lever housing called the cocking lever support, which in turn, makes contact with the forward extension of the bolt group. It is not however connected to the bolt carrier and therefore cannot be used as a forward assist to fully seat the bolt group. The cocking handle is held in a forward position by a spring detent located in the front end of the cocking lever support which engages in the cocking lever housing. The lever is locked back by pulling it fully to the rear and rotating it slightly clockwise where it can be hooked into an indent in the cocking lever tube.

Operating mechanism

The bolt rigidly engages the barrel extension—a cylindrical component welded to the receiver into which the barrel is pinned. The delay mechanism is of the same design as that used in the G3 rifle. The two-part bolt consists of a bolt head with rollers and a bolt carrier. The heavier bolt carrier lies up against the bolt head when the weapon is ready to fire and inclined planes on the front locking piece lie between the rollers and force them out into recesses in the barrel extension.

When fired, expanding propellant gases produced from the burning powder in the cartridge exert rearward pressure on the bolt head transferred through the base of the cartridge case as it is propelled out of the chamber. A portion of this force is transmitted through the rollers projecting from the bolt head, which are cammed inward against the inclined flanks of the locking recesses in the barrel extension and to the angled shoulders of the locking piece. The selected angles of the recesses and the incline on the locking piece produce a velocity ratio of about 4:1 between the bolt carrier and the bolt head. This results in a calculated delay, allowing the projectile to exit the barrel and gas pressure to drop to a safe level before the case is extracted from the chamber.

The delay results from the amount of time it takes for enough recoil energy to be transferred through to the bolt carrier in a sufficient quantity for it to be driven to the rear against the force of inertia of the bolt carrier and the forward pressure exerted against the bolt by the recoil spring. As the rollers are forced inward they displace the locking piece and propel the bolt carrier to the rear. The bolt carrier’s rearward velocity is four times that of the bolt head since the cartridge remains in the chamber for a short period of time during the initial recoil impulse. After the bolt carrier has traveled rearward 4 mm, the locking piece is withdrawn fully from the bolt head and the rollers are compressed into the bolt head. Only once the locking rollers are fully cammed into the bolt head can the entire bolt group continue its rearward movement in the receiver, breaking the seal in the chamber and continuing the feeding cycle.

Since the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge is relatively low powered, the bolt does not have an anti-bounce device like the G3, but instead the bolt carrier contains tungsten granules that prevent the bolt group from bouncing back after impacting the barrel extension. The weapon has a fluted chamber that enhances extraction reliability by bleeding gases backwards into the shallow flutes running along the length of the chamber to prevent the cartridge case from expanding and sticking to the chamber walls (since the bolt is opened under relatively high barrel pressure). A spring extractor is installed inside the bolt head and holds the case securely until it strikes the ejector arm and is thrown out of the ejection port to the right of the receiver. The lever-type ejector is located inside the trigger housing (activated by the movement of the recoiling bolt).

Accessories

Three lugs are provided at the muzzle that are used to work with certain muzzle devices made by Heckler & Koch, including: a slotted flash suppressor, blank firing attachment (marked with a red painted band denoting use with blank ammunition only), an adaptor for launching rifle grenades (for use with rifle-style grenades with an inside diameter of 22 mm using a special grenade launching cartridge) and a cup-type attachment used to launch tear gas grenades.

The receiver housing has notches that permit the attachment of a standard Heckler & Koch quick-detachable scope mount (also used with the G3, HK33 and G3SG/1) that can be used to mount daytime optical sights (telescopic 4×24), night sights or a halogen underbarrel weaponlight. It can be used with reflex sights and laser pointers. The mount features two spring-actuated bolts, positioned along the base of the mount, which exert pressure on the receiver to hold the mount in the same position at all times assuring zero retention. All versions of the quick-detachable scope mount provide a sighting tunnel through the mount so that the shooter can continue to use the fixed iron sights with the scope mount attached to the top of the receiver.